Judicial council criticizes LA federal judge for intervening in bankruptcy case

AP via CoCoTimes ^ | 12/23/6

[SmithL]

LOS ANGELES - The censure of a Los Angeles federal judge by a judicial discipline council was inadvertently posted online for more than a week by a legal publishing service.

The judicial council of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco last month ordered U.S. District Judge Manuel Real be publicly reprimanded for his intervention in a bankruptcy case.

The order was made available on the Internet by Thomson/West, but the 9th Circuit had not made it public because Real had appealed the decision on Dec. 15. It was unclear when the ruling would officially be released.

Real, 82, who has served on the federal bench in Los Angeles since 1966, allegedly seized control of a bankruptcy case involving a defendant he knew, then allowed her to live rent-free in a house she'd been ordered to vacate. The move cost her creditors $35,000 in rent and thousands more in legal costs, according to court documents.

Real denied giving the defendant, Deborah Canter, any special treatment. Real knew Canter because she was a defendant before him in a separate criminal case and he then supervised her probation.

Real's misconduct "warrants the corrective action of 'censuring or reprimanding' (him) by means of public announcement," because his "misconduct continued over a substantial period of time, was repeated and caused significant harm to a litigant," the discipline council said in its decision.

The council's opinion ratified the findings of four judges who conducted an extensive investigation earlier this year.

Real testified before a House Judiciary subcommittee in September and denied any wrongdoing. A phone message left for Real's attorney was not immediately returned Saturday.

He said he only interceded in the bankruptcy case because he discovered that a presentencing report from the criminal case, which only he was allowed to release, had improperly been filed in the bankruptcy court.

Federal judges, who are appointed for life, can be impeached and would have to go through the same type of proceedings as presidents: impeachment by the House, then trial by the Senate.

Thirteen federal judges have been impeached over the years, according to the Federal Judicial Center.

[SmithL]

If they do impeach him, he can run for Congress as a Democrat. Nancy Pelosi will find something for him to do.

[SmithL]

Real, Manuel Lawrence

Born 1924 in San Pedro, CA

Federal Judicial Service:
Judge, U. S. District Court, Central District of California
Nominated by Lyndon B. Johnson on September 26, 1966, to a new seat created by 80 Stat. 75; Confirmed by the Senate on October 20, 1966, and received commission on November 3, 1966. Served as chief judge, 1982-1993.

Education:
University of Southern California, B.S., 1944

Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, CA, LL.B., 1951

Professional Career:
U.S. Naval Reserve, 1943-1945
Assistant U.S. attorney, Southern District of California, 1952-1955
Private practice, San Pedro, California, 1955-1964
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California, 1964-1966


Race or Ethnicity: Hispanic

Gender: Male

[Defender2]

Sounds like LA only gets on federal judges when money is involved.